


Remains Of The Day

by Geekygirl24



Category: Corpse Bride (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Plot Twists, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29685579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geekygirl24/pseuds/Geekygirl24
Summary: Anonymous: My  prompt is  Corpse  Bride story with  Victor x  Barkis  pairing.  AU  where Emily's  father  killed  Barkis and  afterwards  dumped  his  body  in  the forest. When  Victor  rehearsing  his  wedding vows  dead  Barkis  dead  rises  mistaking Victor to  Emily  intending to drag  him  Underworld.  However after   weird  and bit  creepy  they   start  fall  in  love.
Relationships: Barkis Bittern/Emily, Victor Van Dort/Barkis Bittern
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

“From the beginning. Again.”

Victor tried not to wince as audible sighs could be heard all throughout the room. He did tell his parents that this was a bad idea.

He didn’t want to get married.

No matter how nice Victoria was, Victor couldn’t see her being the one for him.

His parents would never accept that though.

Before he could start again, there was a knock on the door, as the butler entered the room, heading straight for Mister Everglot.

“Your sister is here Sir.”

“Damn her.” Mister Everglot growled, “I don’t recall sending her an invitation!”

“She can smell a wedding from a mile away.” His wife sniffed imperiously, “You know that.”

Mister Everglot scoffed, waving his hand almost imperiously, “Let her in.”

Everyone’s curious eyes turned to the doorway, as an older woman, entered the room, looking more like Victoria than her own mother did.

“I apologise.” Her voice was soft, almost melodic, “Apparently I’m a day early for the ceremony.”

“Hm.” Mister Everglot didn’t spare his sister another look, turning his attention back to the ceremony, gesturing for Victor to continue.

“With this hand…” He began, “… I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never be empty, for will- “With a thud, he banged into the table, having taken too many steps forwards.

“THREE STEPS! THREE!” The priest exploded, “CAN YOU NOT COUNT?! DO YOU NOT WISH TO BE MARRIED MISTER VANDORT?!”

“No, no!”

“You do not?” Victoria frowned, looking a little more than heart broken.

“I-I meant- “ What did he mean?

He didn’t want to get married, the priest was right… but he wasn’t sure why. Was there a way to tell Victoria this without hurting her?

Thankfully, the choice was taken from him as the priest’s staff came banging down on his head, causing him to yelp in pain.

“SILENCE!” The priest growled, “Did you at least remember the rings?”

“The ring? Oh, yes!” He reached into his pocket, only for his shaky fingers to send the ring flying over his shoulder and rolling across the floor.

“He dropped the ring!” The priest cried out over the shocked gasps of the rest of the crowd, “This boy does not want to get married!”

Victor chased desperately after the ring, hoping that it wouldn’t vanish underneath a woman’s skirts or something. As if hearing his silent prayer, a delicate foot stopped the ring from going any further, long and elegant fingers bending down to pick it up and hand it over.

“T-thank you Miss Everglot.” Victor stammered, as Victoria’s Aunt stared down at him.

Before she could say anything in return, the priest spoke up again.

“This wedding cannot take place until he is properly prepared!” His eyes focused in on Victor, who took a shaky step back, “Young man… Learn. Your. Vows.”

Pressing himself up against the door, Victor fumbled for the handle and raced out, completely missing the wistful look that appeared on Miss Everglot’s face.

“He seems like a nice boy.”

…………………………………………………………………..

Victor paced back and forth in the woods on the outskirts of the town.

No, he didn’t want to get married… but he had no choice so what else could he do but try to be the best husband he could be?

And that included learning his vows.

“With this hand… I will take your wi- No. That’s not it.”

He moved closer to an oak tree, trying again.

“With this hand… I will cup your…” He cut himself off.

He… really, really, did not want to get married.

“With this… With this… With this candle, I will… panic and probably set someone on fire.” For a moment, he was silent, hand going into his pocket as he pulled out the ring, he was meant to give to Victoria tomorrow.

“With this hand…” He whispered, “… I will lift your sorrow. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness.” Noticing the branch sticking up out of the ground, he moved closer, “With this ring… I ask you to be mine.”

He slipped the ring onto the branch.

And then the wind started to pick up, the sound of crows in the trees. Nervously, Victor glanced around, noticing how he seemed to be surrounded by the sinister birds.

They were all watching him.

Before he could even think about trying to get away, something cold and hard grabbed his wrist, yanking at him, as though trying to pull him into the ground. He caught a quick flash of gold before his arm was pulled through a hole in the ground.

With a trembling yelp, he yanked his arm free from the hole, pulling at the tight grip until there was a sickening SNAP and he fell back to the ground. Slowly, he lifted up his arm, eyes dilating in fear at what he saw.

A bony arm gripping onto his flesh, a familiar ring on one of its’ fingers.

He shook it off, sending it flying into the air behind him.

And then he heard the cracking of the Earth.

Turning his attention back to the oak tree, another arm burst out of the ground, fingers scraping through the dirt as it fought to pull up the rest of the body.

The skin was tinged blue, starved of oxygen and clinging to partially exposed bones.

Victor watched as the body emerged from the ground, dressed in a ripped suit that hung off him. Vacant eyes stared at him.

“Em-ily.” It rasped.

As it reached out to him, Victor scrambled back in alarm, pushing himself to his feet and taking off in a run.

He didn’t notice the creature chasing after him, pausing only to pick up its’ arm.

He raced through a cemetery and jumped over a small lake. He could see the town in the distance, pushing through the branches that ripped his clothes and scratched at his skin until he reached the bridge between the town and the woods.

Leaning against the bridge wall, he sucked in a deep and desperate breath, spinning around to see whether or not he was still being followed.

Nothing.

Sighing in relief, he moved to head back to the Everglot mansion, only to come face to face with the being. Now that he was closer, he could see the hole in the middle of the creature’s forehead.

Almost… like a bullet hole.

He was backed into the bridge wall, as the thing moved closer, crows flying overhead in a haunting circle.

And then, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

“A new arrival!”

Victor groaned as he slowly came to, a blurry face hovering over him as someone’s hand supported his head.

“He must have fainted.” An older gentleman whispered, “Are you alright young man?”

“What-what happened?” Victor whispered, eyes widening at the sight of the literal skeleton standing over him, next to the blue-skinned man.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a breather!”

“Does he have a dead brother?”

“He’s still soft!”

As a skeleton child poked at him, Victor scrambled to his feet, back against what seemed to be a bar, as a skeleton with a sword through its’ chest held up a tankard.

“A toast, then! To the newlyweds!”

“N-Newlyweds?” Victor stammered, eyes darting from corpse to skeleton to corpse.

The older gentleman corpse rolled his eyes, “I have tried to explain the situation to them. We are both men, we cannot be legally married- “

“- The times have changed since you were alive Barkis!” The older man was interrupted, “I’m sure two men can get married by now!”

Victor was too shell-shocked to do anything other than bang his head against the bar in an attempt to wake up. “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

“Coming through, coming through!”

Victor turned his head, to see a head walking towards him… just a head…. Who was offering to create his wedding feast. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that, as the crowd started to get more and more excited about the wedding feast, he started to panic.

Pushing himself away from the bar, he grabbed the sword that was in the shorter skeleton, pulling it free and aiming it at the now-silent crowd.

“I have a sword!” He spun around, trying to keep them all at arm’s length, “I want some answers, now!”

The crowd almost looked shocked at the fact that he was having a complete breakdown. The only one who looked fairly understanding, was the older gentleman who chased him through the woods.

“What’s going on here? Where am I? Who are you?!”

The gentleman, Barkis, cleared his throat, “That is… a long story unfortunately.”

“And what a story it is!” A voice from the shadows exclaimed, as everyone turned to face it, “A tragic tale of romance, passion… and a murder most foul!”

Victor never loosened his grip on the sword as a skeleton emerged, one eye rolling from one socket to the next.

“It was a love story of the ages! Two lovers who fought against the bride’s family!”

Barkis rolled his eyes.

“Her parents would never have allowed them to be together, so our lovers came up with a plan to elope! So, they conjured up a plan to meet late at night, telling not a soul, keeping the whole thing tight! So, on a dark foggy night at a quarter to three, Barkis waited by the old oak tree, ready to go… but where was she?”

“He waited.” The story continued, “And waited and waited and waited. There in the shadows, was it her? His heartbeat echoing in his ears, and then… BANG!”

Everyone jumped.

“… Everything went black.” The storyteller’s voice almost seemed sad at this point, “Now, when he opened his eyes, he was dead as dust! So, he made a vow, lying under that tree, that he’d wait for his true love to set him free!” The skeleton turned to Victor, who took a step back, “Then came you, who has vowed forever, to be by his side!”

“I told you, it was dark!” Barkis snapped, “I was confused, and I thought he was someone else.”

As the bickering started up again, Victor took his chance and ducked into the crowd, slipping out the door and into the world unknown.

He didn’t notice Barkis’s eyes following him out.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Victoria had been sent to her room. 

Apparently staring out of the window like a ‘pathetic puppy’ was unladylike.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely heard the knock on the door, only reacting when the person knocked again, a little louder.

“C-come in!”

Her Aunt shuffled into the room, a warm smile on her face. It was odd to see such a look directed at her.

“Is everything alright Aunt?” Victoria rose to her feet, “I’m sure I can get someone to change it if- “

“- The room is perfectly fine.” The older woman waved her concerns off, “It was my old room growing up after all, even if it seems my brother has neglected to dust it once in a while.” 

Victoria tried to apologise, only for her Aunt to speak up again.

“I just wanted to warn you about something.”

“… Warn me?”

“The town crier has been calling out that someone saw Victor being carried away… by another man.”

Victoria felt her heart sink to her stomach.

“I’m sure it is nothing but a town crier having a bit of a slow news day.” Her Aunt moved closer and placed a comforting hand on Victoria’s shoulder, “They’ll find him.”

…………………………………………………………………

Victor raced through the streets, knowing that he was being followed.

This was all a big mistake.

He wasn’t dead!

He shouldn’t be here!

Coming to a dead end, he took a deep breath and started to use the loose bricks as footholds, slowly making his way up the wall.

Less than a few inches from the top, he felt a cold hand grab his wrist, pulling him up the rest of the way.

“There are stairs right there.” Barkis rolled his eyes, “I don’t recall being so dramatic at your age.” He placed Victor on his feet, looking out at the lights of the undead city.

Silence.

“I-I’m sorry about what happened to you.” Victor cautiously broke the silence, surprised to find that he actually meant the words, “But…. I really need to get home.”

“Of course, you do.” Barkis sounded almost sad, before he forced a polite smile onto his face, “You have a wedding to prepare for if the vows in the woods were anything to go off?”

Victor felt his face flushing.

“I never had to worry about such vows.” Barkis sighed, almost sounding disappointment, “But I believe that the emotions and feelings behind the words, mean more than the words themselves.” He gave Victor a reassuring smile, “So long as you love your young lady, the ceremony will go smoothly.”

But he didn’t love Victoria.

Not in that way.

Before he could reveal those concerns to Barkis however, the older man spoke up again. 

“Come. We had best get you home as soon as possible.”


End file.
